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The United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket will launch into polar orbit a classified spy satellite cargo (most likely KH-11 type satellite) for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The largest of the Delta 4 family, the Heavy version features three Common Booster Cores mounted together to form a triple-body rocket. This is the first launch of a Delta IV Heavy from Vandenberg and it will be the largest rocket ever launched from the west coast of the United States. This will be the fifth launch of the Delta IV Heavy in program history with all previous launches taking place at Cape Canaveral, Fla. The last launch at SLC-6 was November 2006 and since then a multi-year modification project has taken place at the pad to prepare for this launch.
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This is the fourth operational flight of the Delta IV Heavy rocket and the first from the West Coast, Vandenber's SLC-6. A successful demonstration flight was flown on Dec. 21, 2004. The first operational mission was flown Nov. 10, 2007, the second operational flight was flown Jan. 17, 2009, and the third on Nov. 21, 2010.
There is O-F Calendar event created for this launch. And here you can request a reminder for it.
Viewing the Launch Live:
Mission Description:
Launch Vehicle:
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Launch preparations photos:
Links:
Launch Updates:
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Launch date:
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January 20, 2011
Window open:
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21:08 UTC / 1:08 p.m. PST / 4:08 p.m. EST
Window close:
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21:23 UTC / 1:23 p.m. EST / 4:23 p.m. EST
Launch site:
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SLC-6, VAFB, California
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[highlight]L[eventtimer]2011-1-20 21:10:30;%c%%ddd%/%hh%:%mm%:%ss%[/eventtimer][/highlight]
This is the fourth operational flight of the Delta IV Heavy rocket and the first from the West Coast, Vandenber's SLC-6. A successful demonstration flight was flown on Dec. 21, 2004. The first operational mission was flown Nov. 10, 2007, the second operational flight was flown Jan. 17, 2009, and the third on Nov. 21, 2010.
There is O-F Calendar event created for this launch. And here you can request a reminder for it.
Viewing the Launch Live:
A live simulcast of the TV broadcast will be available at 12:43 p.m. PST / 3:43 p.m. EST / 20:43 UTC on launch day on the ULA Web site.
The broadcast [eventtimer]2011-1-20 20:43?will start in|started;%c% %h% hours, %m%[/eventtimer] minutes[eventtimer]2011-1-20 20:43?.| ago.;%c%[/eventtimer]
The broadcast [eventtimer]2011-1-20 20:43?will start in|started;%c% %h% hours, %m%[/eventtimer] minutes[eventtimer]2011-1-20 20:43?.| ago.;%c%[/eventtimer]
Mission Description:
This launch supports the military's national defense mission. The payload is confidential and is designated as National Reconnaissance Office L-49 (NROL-49), but most likely it's KH-11 type electro-optical reconnaissance satellite. The flow of official information about this mission will cease at the point of payload fairing separation. No further comment about the status of the mission will be made after this milestone.
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The patch for NRO Launch 49 depicts a phoenix rising from the flames. The patch also features fourteen stars, including one being carried in the bird’s beak. There also appears to be a fifteenth star obscured by the bird’s wing. There’s a long tradition in such patches for the stars to symbolize the number of payloads launched. Fourteen stars just happens to be the number of KH-11 type electro-optical satellites successfully launched by the United States over the years—including the one being carried into orbit by this bird. A fifteenth launch—the one obscured star—ended in failure.
The Latin words “melior diabolus quem scies” are inscribed on the patch. This roughly translates to mean “the devil you know,” as in the phrase “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know.”
All of these symbols hint that this is the fifteenth launch of a KH-11 type electro-optical reconnaissance satellite. The KH-11 and its descendents have been in service since 1976, and the program was scheduled for replacement by a new series of satellites as part of the Future Imagery Architecture, or FIA. But FIA ran into problems and was canceled.
Mission Insignia (clickable)
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The patch for NRO Launch 49 depicts a phoenix rising from the flames. The patch also features fourteen stars, including one being carried in the bird’s beak. There also appears to be a fifteenth star obscured by the bird’s wing. There’s a long tradition in such patches for the stars to symbolize the number of payloads launched. Fourteen stars just happens to be the number of KH-11 type electro-optical satellites successfully launched by the United States over the years—including the one being carried into orbit by this bird. A fifteenth launch—the one obscured star—ended in failure.
The Latin words “melior diabolus quem scies” are inscribed on the patch. This roughly translates to mean “the devil you know,” as in the phrase “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know.”
All of these symbols hint that this is the fifteenth launch of a KH-11 type electro-optical reconnaissance satellite. The KH-11 and its descendents have been in service since 1976, and the program was scheduled for replacement by a new series of satellites as part of the Future Imagery Architecture, or FIA. But FIA ran into problems and was canceled.
Launch Vehicle:
Delta IV Heavy is comprised of a common booster core (CBC), two additional CBCs as strap-on liquid rocket boosters (LRBs) to augment the first-stage CBC, a cryogenic upper stage, and 5-m-diameter payload fairing (PLF).
The Delta 4 CBC design is optimized for balanced performance over a wide range of payloads using the high-performance RS-68 main engine powered by liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LO2). The RS-68 is throttleable to serve various mission profiles operating at 102% and 58% thrust level. Two separate 5-m-dia. LO2 and LH2 tanks provide the majority of the first stage structure. These two tanks are integrated wih a composite cylinder, called the centerbody. At the forward end of the CBC, another composite cylinder, the interstage, provides the interface between the CBC and the cryogenic second stage. For the port and starboard strap-on CBCs of the Heavy configuration the interstage structure is replaced with a composite nose cone.
At the aft end of the CBC, an engine section provides the thrust structure and thermal shield that integrates the RS-68 main engine to the CBC. The RS-68 requirements were balanced to enable operational thrust at lower chamber pressures. This design trade increase engine reliability, while reducing complexity. Compared with the SSME, the RS-68 has an 80% reduction in unique part count. Even with lower performance than comparable LO2/LH2 engines, the RS-68 develops a world record 2949 kN (663000 lb) of sea-level thrust with a specific impulse (Isp) of 359 seconds at sea level.
The second stage comprises a 5-m-diameter fuel tank, a composite intertank structure, a liquid oxygen tank, avionics equipment shelf, avionics suite, attitude control system and is powered by a Pratt & Whitney RL10B-2 liquid rocket engine that produces 100kN (24750 lb.) of thrust. The RL10B-2, with its high expansion, carbon-carbon nozzle provides an Isp of 465.5 seconds.
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Launch preparations photos:
- California's first Delta 4-Heavy arrives (PHOTO GALLERY)
- SLC-6 receives its first Delta 4-Heavy rocket (PHOTO GALLERY)
- Delta 4-Heavy rocket goes vertical at SLC-6 (PHOTO GALLERY)
- Media day with Delta 4-Heavy rocket (PHOTO GALLERY)
- Massive Delta rocket nearly ready for launch (PHOTO GALLERY)
- Delta 4-Heavy rocket revealed for launch (PHOTO GALLERY)
Links:
- United Launch Alliance: NROL-49 page
- Vandenberg Air Force Base: Delta IV Heavy launch scheduled
- Spaceflight Now: Delta 4-Heavy ready to serve nation from West Coast pad
- Lompoc Record:
- Los Angeles Times: Vandenberg to launch its tallest rocket
- The Space Review: Better the devil you know…
Launch Updates:
- Spaceflight Now's Mission Status Center
- United Launch Alliance Twitter
- ULA launch hotline - dial at: 1-877-852-4321
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